


The Most Beautiful Sky

by Tui_and_La



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Ishval Civil War, Reflections on Ishval, The Hawk's Eye, sniping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 01:58:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15876135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tui_and_La/pseuds/Tui_and_La
Summary: "Cadet Riza Hawkeye, 19, arrived in Ishval in one of those nights, when the sky bared the biggest work of art she’d ever seen."





	The Most Beautiful Sky

Ishval was a city located in the desert, many miles away from other cities in the East, the last one to be annexed to Amestris. In all possible ways, it didn’t belong to the country, like an adopted child who didn’t manage to adapt to their new family and was now being rejected by the very people who previously decided to nest them in their arms. Except that Ishval never wanted to belong.

The Ishvalan had their own god and their own religion, and roughly the entire population was feverous in their beliefs. People of faith are dangerous in their persistence and bold in their sacrifices. They know that there’s someone watching out for them and that justice is going to thrive. You don’t give a chance to people of faith. You shoot them down and shut them up.

The Ishvalan also had their own culture. The wore light clothes of the most breathable cotton material, produced through techniques only known by them and found nowhere else in the country. Their culinary, albeit simple, was creative in the many uses they gave to wheat, the foundation of their meals. They also had their own music styles, in which predominated instruments often overlooked in Amestrian music. Culture brings people together, builds an identity, feeds rebellion. Rebellious people are dangerous, you don’t give them a single chance. You shoot them down and shut them up.

When the State Alchemists began to arrive in Ishval, a curfew was established from 10 PM to 5 AM. At that point, destruction was growing significantly and both sides needed time to handle the daily chaos. Although truce came to them all, the curfew applied only to the Ishvalan. As long as they remained inside the buildings and out of sight, no one would be attacked. On the other hand, if they were seen outside or holding guns behind windows during those hours, there would be no mercy to them, whether on their way to shelter or carrying kids. The patrollers and the snipers would make sure of that. 

Thus, the night belonged to Amestrian, who used that time to handle the corpses and the debris, as well as to transport the injured out and the newcomers in. After a few hours everyone would have retired in order to rest, leaving only silence and darkness, the patrollers like snakes on the sand, and the snipers on their nests. The lasts ones were the ultimate guardians, watching from above like birds of prey, the closest ones of the sky, yet the ones who searched and attacked their targets with biggest precision. Sniping isn't a game of chance. It requires exhaustive planning, calculating, positioning, camouflage, but above all, _waiting_. Patience is key, and probably the hardest part. It opens space to tiredness and gives no chance to let the guard down. It leaves too much time to think and doesn't allow regret. 

For Riza everything happened really fast. One day she was in the sniping training camp, and before she realized she was in the elite training for war, then on her way to the war. Cadet Riza Hawkeye, 19, arrived in Ishval in one of those nights, when the sky bared the biggest work of art she’d ever seen. Thin, foggy clouds could not compete with the purple and creamy bands scattered throughout the dark blue background, and the stars, in various sizes, swarmed in distinct patterns or simply defended their individuality. A work of nature, she thought, although the people of Ishval would probably attribute it to god. The Ishvalan were also blessed with the cleanest air and the clearest sky, Riza realized moments before she had the first glimpse of the city. And she was on her way to steal that from them as well. 

The night of Ishval would always be there when the sun set and every artificial light recoiled to let the stars shine at their brightest, however, each Amestrian soldier only had the right to a single view of the most beautiful sky during all their time on that land - the very first one. Because the stars would always sparkle as grieving tears for what they saw bellow them once you entered the battlefield.


End file.
